Loom selvage motion



Oct. 29, 1963 E. c. NICHOLS LOOM SELVAGE MOTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 25, 1961 INVEN TOR. EDWARD C. NICHOLS.

QM QM A TTORNEY Oct. 29, 1963 c NICHOLS 3,108,617

LOOM SELVAGE MOTION Filed Aug. 25, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mm WIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIlllllllINIIIllllIIIIIIIIll NN "||IHIIIII|I||||llllillllflllll lllll INVENTOR. EDWARD a NICHOLS.

iiwmW A TTORNEY nite States This invention pertains to selvage motions for looms and particularly to a method and apparatus for producing a tape selvage in looms of the type wherein cut filling ends are inserted within a shed formed by warp threads, such as in socalled shuttleless looms.

It is a general object of the invention to produce a tape selvage by controlling through separate means the way and manner by which the selvage warp threads are caused to shed to points above and below a substantially central point whereat they are caused to cross.

It is a further object of the invention to keep the main warp shed open for substantially the entire insertion period of the pick to lessen the possibilities of nondetection of broken picks by the center fork filling motion.

It is a further and more specific object of the invention to provide a means for controlling the selvage Warp threads which are effective in holding and binding the end of a filling pick prior to the closing and crossing of the main warp body.

Further objects of the invention will become apparent from the following more detailed disclosure.

When forming a fabric through the process of weaving, it is customary and desirable to form a selvage on both sides of the cloth to prevent damaging effects caused by the lateral forces to which it is subjected by the reed when positioning a newly inserted length of filling into the fell of the fabric, and the additional strains to which it is subjected during the cloth finishing process.

Selvage weaves may be structurally formed in various ways; however, the instant invention concerns itself primarily with the formation of a tape selvage which includes the steps of inserting two picks of filling in the selvage before the warp selvage threads are permitted to cross to form the weave.

The formation of a tape selvage with mechanisms of the prior art presented an unfavorable condition in that positive indications by the center fork filling motion could not be obtained should a short pick be introduced or become broken beyond the feeler tines toward that edge of the fabric from which the cut end of filling normally extends. This condition existed because shedding of the main warp body commenced during withdrawal of the filling extending carrier and the closing of the main warp shed on a newly inserted length of filling presented suiticient holding power on said filling to prevent satisfactory indicating by'the center fork tines.

A condition of this nature can now be overcome through use of the novel selvage motion of the instant invention which permits the main warp shed to remain open during substantially the entire period of pick insertion. Shedding of the separate selvage warp threads prior to the closing of the main warp shed is eifective in holding and binding the filling yarn until properly positioned in the fell of the fabric by the beat-up motion of the loom. These separate selvage warp threads cross completely on each and every pick and by way of example a pick of filling is inserted when the selvage shed is in atent a first open position, it then moves to a second fully crossed position, the filling is then positioned by the beat-up motion and the shed reopens again to the first open position to permit a second length of filling to be inserted therein. The selvage warp threads then shed to the fully crossed position where the filling is beat in to form the weave and they remain crossed for the next or third pick whereupon they move back to a fully open position until said third pick is positioned at the fell and then reopen to the crossed position to permit a fourth pick to be inserted therein whereupon the selvage harnesses return to the first position where the filling is beat into the fell completing the shedding cycle. Each crossing and false crossing of the selvage warp threads is done prior to the closing and crossing of the main warp shed and is effective in holding and binding the filling at this point.

The invention will be described hereinafter in greater detail by reference to the accompanying figures of drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view, in front elevation, of the left-hand end portion of a loom as viewed from the front showing the present invention applied thereto.

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the mechanism shown in FIG. 1 looking in the direction of arrow A.

FIG. 3 is a side view in elevation of the cam to give the desired motion to the selvage harnesses.

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the cam shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged elevational view of a portion of the selvage harness driving mechanism shown in FIG. 2.

Referring now to the figures of drawing, there is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 parts of a shuttleless loom including main harness frames 10 which are suspended from an overhead spring top motion of known construction which includes a supporting bracket 11. Spring biased cords 12 running over a plurality of sheaves 13 support the harnesses which are controlled from below by cam means such as that disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,637,348 which may be referred to for a more complete description of such a harness motion but which forms no part of the instant invention.

Separate selvage threads, a supply of which may be wound upon the main warp beam or on separate spools, are provided at each side of the loom and are threaded through and controlled by heddles 14 mounted on a selvage harness frame 15 which is comprised of a fiat strip-like body portion and includes openings therein as at 16, 17 and 18 forming supporting cross members 19 and 2t) therebetween. The selvage heddles 14 are each provided with a warp eye (not shown) through which a warp selvage thread passes and the ends are formed in such a manner as to enable them to assemble on the cross members 19 and 20. The upper portion of the harness frame 15 is slidably guided within a vertical slot 21 provided on one side of a guide block 22. These selvage harness frames are utilized in pairs and a second frame 23 which is similar in construction to frame 15 is slidably guided within a second vertical slot 24 positioned on the opposite side of guide block 22.

An angular bracket 25 assembles at one end of bracket 11 and at its outer end 26 it supports an outwardly directed and horizontally disposed supporting rod 27 that is adapted to be received into an opening 28 provided in the upper portion of guide block 22. A set screw 29 is adapted to position block 22. on the supporting rod 27 which also permits lateral adjustment of the upper end of the selvage harness frames so as to correspond with the width of fabric being woven.

The harness frame is attached at its lower end to a slotted horizontally disposed cross bar 30 by means of a bolt 31 which also serves to provide a means for lateral adjustment at that end. A second slotted cross bar 32 (FIG. 2) is attached in like manner to the lower end of the second harness frame 23.

These cross bars are reciprocated vertically and in opposite directions to impart a shedding motion to the elvage harness frames, each of which has one-half of the selvage threads for one side of the fabric threaded through its heddles. These harness frames are crossed to their extreme vertical positions on every pick, but by cam means which will hereinafter be more fully described, these harness frames are caused to reopen on alternate picks the selvage shed into which the last pick Was inserted to allow a second pick to be inserted within the same selvage shed and then crossing again to form the weave, thus producing what is commonly known as a tape selvage.

Crossing of the selvage harness frames to their extreme vertical positions on every pick is accomplished prior to the closing and crossing of the main warp body and serves to hold and bind the cut end of filling at the selvage after release by the filling extending carrier.

Cross bars 30 and 32 have depending therefrom centrally disposed guide members 33' and 34, respectively, which are restrained for vertical movement in guide grooves provided in a bracket 35 that is fixedly positioned on frame member 36 by means of bolts 37 and 38. Frame member 36 further supports a sleeve member 39 which is adapted to receive thereon a freely rotatable combination cam and gear generally indicated by numeral 40 and which is adapted as an intermediate means for furnishing the required motion to vertically reciprocate the selvage harness frames 15 and 23. Within sleeve member 39 and adapted to extend from either end thereof there assembles a freely oscillatable shaft 41 which has fixed toone end thereof a double armed lever indicated generally by numeral 42 having arms 43 and 44 whose ends are pivotally connected to a curved lever member 45 and a straight lever 46, respectively. The upper ends of these lever members are pivotally connected, one each, to the lower ends of guide members 33 and 34.

The combination cam and gear generally indicated by numeral 40 includes a gear member 47 and a cam 48 fixed to one side thereof. This cam and gear being freely rotatable upon sleeve 39 is caused to rotate in the direction of the indicating arrows shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 by means of gear member 47 being engageable with a pinion 49 fixedly positioned on the looms cam shaft 50, a portion of which is shown in FIG. 1.

The form of the cam illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 causes the warp selvage threads to cross to their extreme vertical positions on every pick and additionally on alternate picks to reopen the selvage shed permitting a second pick to be inserted adjacent to the last inserted pick. These threads are the-n caused to cross to form the selvage weave.

Shaft 41 is oscillated through an arc of approximately 90 degrees by means of a lever 51 pivoted at 52 having a cam follower 53 intermediate its ends Which is adapted to ride in a cam track 54 provided in cam member 48. Lever 51 is connected at its free end to a connecting link 55 which is pivoted to one end of a further link 56 whose opposite end is fixed to shaft 41.

In operation, the loom cam shaft is rotating continuously and pinion 49 being fixedly positioned thereon and engaged with gear member 47 transmits this rotary motion to earn 48 which is fixed to one side of said gear member 47. Cam follower 53 which is caused to ride in cam track 54 imparts an oscillating motion to lever 51 which is pivoted at its lower end as at 52. This oscillating movement, by means of connecting link 5'5 is transmitted to link 56 which is fixedly positioned on shaft 41 thus causing the latter to oscillate through an arc of approximately degrees.

The double armed lever 42 being fixed to the opposite end of shaft 41 is caused to oscillate in a similar manner which in turn causes levers 45. and 46 attached to arms 43 and 44 to reciprocate vertically thus imparting the desired motion to the selvage harness frames. As heretofore described the selvage warp threads are caused to cross to their extreme vertical positions on every pick prior to the closing and crossing of the main warp body. In crossing the selvage threads at each pick before crossing the main warp shed said selvage threads bind and hold the end of the filling to prevent its becoming displaced or losing tension. Additionally, keeping the main warp shed open for substantially the entire pick permits more positive indications by the center fork filling motion. On alternate picks and after positioning of the pick by the lay beat-up motion, the selvage shed reopens to that shed into which the previous pick was inserted and then after the insertion of a second filling thread the selvage threads cross to an extreme position to complete the cycle and form the desired selvage weave.

By way of example, the selvage warp threads are caused to shed thrice as compared to the main warp which sheds only twice during the same interval. With the selvage and main warp sheds open, a first pick is inserted therebetween, the selvage threads are crossed prior to the closing and crossing of said main warp shed to hold and bind said first pick until the latter warp is crossed and the pick positioned in the fell of the fabric. The selvage threads then immediately reopen to the shed into which the first pick was inserted and the main shed remains crossed presenting a new shed. A second pick is then inserted into these sheds whereupon the selvage shed again closes and crosses prior to the main warp for the purpose heretofore described. Both sheds then remain crossed to permit the insertion of a third pick whereupon the aforementioned sequences of crossings are repeated. Thus, the selvage warp threads remain crossed only on every other pick so that two filling threads may be inserted in the selvage for each crossing of these threads which is effective in forming a tape selvage.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be lim-ted to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A method of forming a tape selvage in a loom adapted to insert filling in the form of picks with at least one cut end which includes the steps 'of inserting a first pick in a shed of warp threads, holding the cut end of said pick by crossing a group of separate selvage warp threads from a first open position to a second fully crossed position, and then crossing the main warp body, returning said group of selvage threads to said first position, inserting a second pick of filling, and then crossing both said main warp and selvage sheds.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the crossing of said separate selvage warp threads involves a full crossing of said threads at each pick for holding and binding the pick end therebetween.

3. In a loom for weaving, a main warp harness mechanism for controlling a main body of warp threads, a selv-age harness mechanism including a pair of harness frames having heddles for selvage threads movable to shed said selvage threads to extreme vertical positions above and below a position whereat they are crossed and a means to reciprocate said selvage harness mechanism and frames from a fully open position whereat a first pick of filling is comprises a cam member, a rocking lever, means for 10 51619 transmitting indications from said cam member to said rocking lever, further means attached to the outer ends of said rocking lever and interconnected with said harness frames for transmitting said indications thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Flamand Feb. 9, 1960 Flamand Oct. 11, 1960 

3. IN A LOOM FOR WEAVING, A MAIN WARP HARNESS MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING A MAIN BODY OF WARP THREADS, A SELVAGE HARNESS MECHANISM INCLUDING A PAIR OF HARNESS FRAMES HAVING HEDDLES FOR SELVAGE THREADS MOVABLE TO SHED SAID SELVAGE THREADS TO EXTREME VERTICAL POSITIONS ABOVE AND BELOW A POSITION WHEREAT THEY ARE CROSSED AND A MEANS TO RECIPROCATE SAID SELVAGE HARNESS MECHANISM AND FRAMES FROM A FULLY OPEN POSITION WHEREAT A FIRST PICK OF FILLING IS INSERTED TO A FULLY CROSSED POSITION AND THEN CROSSED BACK TO SAID OPEN POSITION TO PERMIT A SECOND PICK OF FILLING TO BE INSERTED THEREBETWEEN, THEN TO A FULLY CROSSED POSITION WHEREAT A THIRD PICK OF FILLING IS CAUSED TO BE INSERTED AND THEN CROSSED BACK TO PERMIT INSERTION OF A FOURTH PICK AND THEN FULLY CROSSED AGAIN COMPLETING THE CYCLE OF SAID SALVAGE HARNESS MECHANISM. 